Habitual
by ViolaCoye
Summary: {CSI: Miami} "An unexpected encounter..."


Habitual  
  
By Viola Coye Pairing: H/C My muse doesn't seem to want to play with anyone else. Summary: "An unexpected encounter." Dedication: To the CSI_M_Horatio-Calleigh Yahoo! Group for the wonderful conversation and for filling my inbox everyday! Spoilers: The CBS CSI Miami website? Umm.since I'm not completely sure where this is going anything from season one is a possibility. Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami. If I did Horatio and Calleigh would be.well, they would be having fun. Thanks to Marianne for betaing for me. And putting up with my typos. All 28 of them. (Yes I counted)  
  
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Another phone call. Another sleazy bar that had probably never been seen by the trained eyes of a health inspector. Every day she came in to investigate the crimes that went on in places like this. Every night she came to collect her father.  
  
Day by day she showed up to work as if nothing was wrong. She could have been an actress, hell, she had a lifetime of experience. Acting like it was no trouble to go hauling her father out of bars every night. Acting like she had nothing better to do. Acting like being called away from a crime scene was okay, something she could easily repair. Acting like her father was someone she could easily repair.  
  
It hadn't always been like this. When he first moved to Miami proclaiming that he was cured, she almost believed him. Almost, until she found him the next night at one of her crime scenes. ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
She had been investigating a bar fight gone wrong with Horatio when she had seen him. He was slouched over, passed out, at a corner table in the shadows, the beer in front of him gathering condensation from the air. Why did he have to be here tonight? Is it so much to ask that her personal and work life stay separate? Why couldn't her father change? Why was she always left to pick up the pieces?  
  
While Calleigh collected the physical evidence Horatio had gotten statements from the bar members still coherent enough to speak. Her father was not included in that group. The stories had matched, so the case was open and shut, and all Calleigh wanted to do was take her father home and get away from the sleazy bar where neither she nor Horatio belonged.  
  
After loading the evidence into the Hummer, Calleigh reentered the bar. She spoke to the bartender for a few moments and then, after handing him her pager number, she rejoined Horatio outside. He was waiting for her by the vehicle.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he inquired, a concerned look on his face.  
  
"No, I just have something I need to do. After we get the evidence back could I have the rest of the day off?" She asked, the regret in her voice from letting Horatio down almost tangible.  
  
"Of course. You've more than earned it." He replied trying to allay her fears in a few words.  
  
Calleigh turned and walked over to the passenger door. Before she could climb in she turned back to Horatio. "Thank you." She said with a soft smile on her face. Their eyes locked and for a second they just looked at each other. The moment was broken by the doors to the bar swinging open with a bang and a man stumbling out. Horatio and Calleigh both climbed into the Hummer.  
  
She returned less than thirty minutes later. It had been almost eleven years since the last time she had dragged her father out of a bar and she had forgotten how heavy he was. At that time she wasn't legally allowed to be in bars, but the bartenders in Darnell, LA where not about to mess with hauling the sheriff out of their bar so they allowed Calleigh in to do the dirty work. And here she was, cleaning up again.  
  
By the time Calleigh had gotten her father home and settled it was too late to return to the lab. So she drove her small sedan down to the beach. The first week in Miami she had found a spot on the beach where a large rock blocked the wind. Every time her emotions threatened to take over she came down here and sat trying to get control. She had never found anyone down here before which is why she was so surprised to see a man sitting in her normal spot.  
  
She was as silent as possible, but some sound must have been made; the crunch of sand beneath her feet, the wind beating her hair; either way something caught his attention and he turned towards her. Her eyes slowly moved from his feet, up his legs and torso, to his face.  
  
"Horatio."  
  
"Hello Calleigh," he said, rising to his feet.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." She turned to leave. He quickly stood up and caught her gently by the shoulder before she walked two steps. He tenderly turned her around to face him. She wouldn't meet his eyes, keeping them trained on the ground at his feet.  
  
Horatio Caine slowly looked over his student. No. Calleigh was no longer just a student to him, she was something else. Something that was not categorized as easily. Calleigh looked tired, like the world had collapsed on top of her. He knew that she was in no condition to talk, so he decided to let her be for now.  
  
"Whatever you need, whenever. Just let me know, ok?" He said, almost reverently.  
  
She nodded slowly, still not meeting his eyes. He looked at her for a moment and then released her shoulder. He turned to leave, but was stopped by the small, shy hand on his arm.  
  
"Thank you." The voice was hesitant and he had to strain to hear her. He brought his hand up and lightly grasped hers. Slowly he moved it from his sleeve, brought it to his lips, and kissed it lightly.  
  
An electric current ran through her body at the feeling of his lips on her hand. He had soft lips, and the kiss was so light that it felt like a butterfly landing.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow." He returned her hand to her side and walked to the Hummer. "Good night Calleigh." And with that he climbed into the drivers seat and drove off.  
  
Calleigh stood for less that two seconds before her knees gave out and she succumbed to her tears. She eventually cried herself to sleep in the sand. 


End file.
